Virginia A. Moyer, MD, MPH, has been chosen by the Association of Rice (University) Alumni[1] to receive the 2016 Distinguished Alumni Award. Dr. Moyer, the Vice President of Maintenance of Certification and Quality at the American Board of Pediatrics, graduated from Rice[2] in 1974 with a BA in psychology.

“The terrific faculty at Rice, who were simultaneously demanding and supportive, and outstanding fellow students from whom to learn, gave me a great foundation in both advocacy and critical thinking,” Dr. Moyer said.

Dr. Moyer’s expertise is in evidence-based medicine, education, health care quality and patient safety. She was the first Chief Quality Officer for Medicine at Texas Children’s Hospital[5]. A member of the United States Preventive Services Task Force from 2003-2008, she chaired the group from 2011-2014.

As Vice President for Maintenance of Certification and Quality at the American Board of Pediatrics, Dr. Moyer oversees the development and administration of Maintenance of Certification (MOC) across the spectrum of general pediatric practice and includes all of the 14 pediatric subspecialties.

"One of the rare honors in a career is to be singled out among thousands of graduates of a school as the one who has made seminal contributions to society,” said David G. Nichols, President & CEO of the American Board of Pediatrics. “Rice University has done this for Dr. Ginny Moyer for her work as a general pediatrician and one of the most influential leaders in improving the quality of patient care and preventing illness in the United States.”

The Distinguished Alumni Award is presented annually to alumni who have “advanced the interests and standards of excellence of Rice University through distinctive professional or volunteer careers.” The award is given to living individuals who attended Rice as undergraduates or graduate students for at least a year.

The Distinguished Alumni Award is part of the Laureates Awards Program which was created by the Association of Rice Alumni in 1937 to recognize highly distinguished individuals for extraordinary achievements and contributions to their professions, local communities and Rice University.

Dr. Moyer will receive her award at the Laureates Awards dinner on May 14, 2016, in Houston.